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Reigny days and Mondays

It's likely that Cordelia Chase would kill for the chance to represent her city as Miss Sunnydale. But when her real-life alter ego was quizzed about her former reign as Ms. Perfect Teen San Diego, her mind drew a surprising blank.

"I don't know," recalls Caprenter with a laugh. "I don't remember the exact titles anymore. I try to eridicate those memories from my conscience."

Though Carpenter may not remember much from her days as a teen queen, she enjoyed the competition that kept her busy in high school.

"The truth is that as much as I'd like to give pageants a hard time, I really can't because they served me so well," comments Carpenter. "I'm all for them."

For the talent portion of her pageant performances, Carpenter relied on her training in a variety of dance styles. her routine featured ballet, a cha-cha and a variety of jazz steps. So why hasn't cordelia busted a move yet on Buffy?

I haven't [danced] in about nine months," says Carpenter. "Before that, I was working out in a gym and getting really beefy - it just wasn't my forte, and I ended up getting hurt. I don't think I'm meant to be in the gym."

Carpenter partially credits the pageant circuit for her quick success as an actress. Competing prepared her for the competitive nature of the business and has helped her stay cool under pressure.

"The whole system, whether you won or lost, is just subjective opinion," she says. "It's just a very few people deciding that you're 'it.' I tend to not take it too seriously because of that. But it was good, and it served me in the regard of competition and getting familiar with that concept. It was a really great thing."